User:The Oan Isles/sandbox

The Auroran-Pacific War (APW) was a conventional military conflict between the Rivendale Pact and Bursil Alliance in 2017 fought predominantly in Aurora and the South West Pacific Ocean. The Rivendale Pact consisted of Ethalria, Uspalria , Gemica, Kostromastan and Stratarin and the Bursil Alliance consisted of Great Morstaybishlia (MBE), The Oan Isles, Axdel, Kuthernburg, Tretrid, Vistaraland and Kostoria-Obertonia.

The war arose in the shadow of the Auroran Imperial War that ended in the mid-1970s. The Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria was partitioned into 2 states: the Republic of Ethalria (ROE) and Matriarch of Ethalria (which lost Marislia to MBE). Nevertheless, Ethalria became prosperous and self-confident. Internal political forces such as the rise of ultranationalism and irredentism led to the rise of Amalda Harimann who harbored aspirations for a united Greater Ethalria. In the ROE, Usprians were tired of human rule. Having accumulated power, economic and political capital, their leaders struck a deal with Ethalria to aid its ethnonationalist project on return for control over ROE.

The APW was preceded by a coup in Stratarin which resulted in the ascendance of Mikhail Starikov to the Strataric leadership. During which a civil war arose in the Republic of Ethalria which saw its government flee to Yor and Uspalria declare control over its former territory. Furthermore a spate of terrorist attacks occured in MBE orchestrated by Ethalria which culminated in the assassination of Prince Thadeus, Duke of Horkalo.

The war began with Uspalria invading Yor. Ethalria then invaded Marislia. Axdel and Kuthernburg repelled Uspalria in Yor. Uspalria, unable to secure assets owned by the Republic of Ethalria, invaded Kostoria-Obertonia placed it under military occupation and coerced it to make loans and withdraw foreign reserves held in the ACB, for the Rivendale Pact war effort. Using Gemica as a launching point, the Rivendale Pact, led by Stratarin invaded and occupied Justelvard. Furthermore, Ethalria and Stratarin launched an attack from the south and north respectively into Marislia region.

With forces tied up in the Salizar Civil War and other areas in the world MBE was slow to respond, leaving Axdel and Kuthernburg to assist Kostoria-Obertonia and the Republic of Ethalria government in Yor. Motivated by a treaty of mutual defence, Tretrid assisted the Oan Isles in defeating Strataric naval forces operating from Gemica and occupied the islands. The Royal Armed Forces of the Empire was able to call for reinforcements from Salizar and from its bases in MBE. It defeated and repelled Ethalrian forces in Marislia and invaded northern Ethalria and marched to Rivendale, deposed Amalda Harimann and placed Ethalria under military occupation. RAFOTE took back Justelvard. Vistaraland repelled the Strataric Navy and pushed them back to their territorial waters. Facing imminent defeat Starikov declared defeat.

The war concluded with the Treaty of Sani Bursil which partitoned Ethalria into Faethalria, Kothalria, Vothetria and Thalria and Uspalria was partitioned into Yor, Sarentria and Durentrus, described the terms of surrender of Stratarin, the annexation of Gemica by the Oan Isles, the disbandment of the South-East Pacific Coalition, the relocation of the Auroran Central Bank to Tivot, and the suspension and eventual dissolution of the Auroran Continental Assembly.

Terminology

Greater Ethalria refers to all of the territory of the Grand Matriarchy before 1975 which was ruled by the Matriarchy of Ethalria, the Republic of Ethalria and Great Morstaybishlia. Lower Ethalria refers to the part of the former territory of the Grand Matriarchy ruled by the Republic of Ethalria followed by the Empire of Uspalria. Upper Ethalria refers to the part of the former territory of the Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria ruled by the Matriarchy of Ethalria.

For brevity, the Matriarchy of Ethalria is referred to as Ethalria or the Matriarchy, the Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria is referred to as Greater Ethalria or Grand Matriarchy, the Republic of Ethalria is referred as the Republic or ROE and the Empire of Uspalria is referred to as Uspalria. Marislia refers to the region of Great Morstaybishlia which was acquired in 1975 from the Grand Matriarchy of Ethalria. The Ethalns refers to all the former territory of Uspalria and Ethalria (excluding Marislia).

Belligerents

File:Map of APW Belligerents.png

In red are the member states of the Rivendale Pact and in blue are the member states of the Bursil Alliance

The war was fought between the Bursil Alliance and Rivendale Pact. The Bursil Alliance refers to the allies of Great Morstaybishlia from Novaris and Aurora who fought on its side during the APW. The name Bursil Alliance comes from the name of the capital city of Great Morstaybishlia (Sani Bursil) and refers to the summit that they held in that city to discuss and agree upon a joint response to the Rivendale Pact. The Rivendale Pact consisted of the allies of Ethalria who fought in the war. It was named after a meeting held by Ethalria and its allies in the Ethalrian capital city, Rivendale. The Rivendale Pact preceded the formation of the Bursil Alliance.

Background

The war was in part precipitated by the outcome and aftermath of the Auroran Imperial War (AIW) despite the fact that the Auroran-Pacific War took place over 40 years later. The Grand Matriarchy was defeated by Great Morstaybishlia and its allies at the end of the AIW. It was partitioned into the Matriarchy of Ethalria and Republic of Ethalria and Marislia was ceded to Great Morstaybishlia. The Matriarchy was regarded as the successor state of the Grand Matriarchy while the Republic was regarded as an entirely new state.

The Matriarchy was forced to pay out reparations and reform its military and government in ways that undermined its ability to project power. The Republic faced similar constraints. However, the Matriarchy remained politically and culturally Conservative while the Republic was progressive and liberal. Both were required to join continental institutions and organisations dominated by Great Morstaybishlia. Having gravitated towards Great Morstaybishlia, the Republic assimilated into the Morstaybishlian sphere of influence. However, the Matriarchy remained resistant. Furthermore, because the Republic was dominated by Humans, the Usprians were resistant to both ROE and MBE domination.

In the time that followed the AIW, Usprians rose in the ranks of the Republic government and became leading members of its military. Similarly, Ethalria became economically prosperous, and militarily strong. Its rising military and economic might made its political elites more confident and inspired ultranationalism in its people. At the same time, Stratarin, Gemica, and Kostromastan were struggling with political, strategic and economic constraints placed on them by Morst-aligned international systems and institutions.

Prelude

General Erwina Pipenz, an Usprian female, was the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Ethalria Defence Force. She left the military to challenge Ositha Boracova in the 2016 presidential elections at the head of the National Renewal Party. She lost in the second round by 1%. She claimed that the election had been rigged and challenged the results in the Republic of Ethalria Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to rule against the winner. As leader of the opposition in the Republic of Ethalria Parliament, she called for Usprian ethnonationalist solidarity. In early 2017, the NRP and the ROE Defence Force led by Gen Erwina Pipenz attacked the capital, arrested senior government officials, suspended the police and other state institutions and declared a curfew over the nation.

Gen Erwina Pipenz announced that the Republic of Ethalria had been dissolved and that the Empire of Uspalria would take its place with the Uspalrian High Command in its place. Some members of the ROE government such as Ositha Boracova evaded the arrests. Some members of the ROE Defence Forces did not defect to the Uspalrian government but remained loyal to the ROE. They tried to resist the Uspalrian government but it was clear that the ROE had lost, so it fled to Yor. The navy refused to join Uspalria and stuck with the ROE and enforced a blockade on the ROE.

Nevertheless, Ethalria was the first country to recognise Uspalria. Erwina Pipenz undertook a diplomatic visit to Rivendale to forge strong relations with Ethalria. The Strataric Communist Party was divided between the faction led by Procurator-General Mikhail Starikov who supported Uspalria and the faction led by General Secretary Viktor Drugov who supported the ROE. Mikhail Starikov was the rising star of the party and looked set to become the next General Secretary at the 2018 National Elective Conference. Starikov called for a meeting of the Politburo to vote on the ROE vs Uspalria question for later that month.

MBE called a meeting of Auroran nations to discuss the coup d'état and civil war in the ROE. In a bid to stymie Starikov's ambitions and to thaw relations with MBE, Drugov attended and preempted the Politburo decision by declaring that Stratarin supported the ROE. This sent shock waves throughout the country. Starikov took the opportunity to seize power by having Colonel Demenok assassinate key members of the government include Chair of the Council of Ministers, Rurik Lukin. The assassination attempt on Drugov failed as it was intercepted by MBE authorities while he was still in their country. An extraordinary meeting of the Politburo was called which removed Drugov and recognised Starikov as the new General Secretary.

Ethalria convened a meeting in Rivendale with Stratarin, Kostromastan, Gemica and Uspalria and they agreed to form the Rivendale Pact, an economic, military and political organisation by signing the Treaty of Rivendale. The Sani Bursil Summit was dissolved without a clear path forward nevertheless MBE, The Oan Isles, Kuthernburg, Tretrid, Vistaraland and Axdel agreed to work towards restoring the ROE government, portending the later agreement that would give rise to Bursil Alliance.